On Saturday morning, December 29, 2012, the Knoxville constituents of Congressman John Duncan and Congressman Chuck Fleischmann rallied because, in the words of one participant, “Congress is failing us.” Gathering in front of their offices on Market Street, participants urged the Republicans to listen to the American people and agree to a fair and balanced approach to balancing the budget which includes asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share.

“By refusing to ask the wealthiest two percent to pay their fair share, Rep. Duncan and Rep. Fleischmann have set us on a path to go off the so-called ‘fiscal cliff’ which will force the middle class to pay an additional $2,000 in taxes,” said June Jones, “They blame the Senate and the President and are avoid taking responsibility for the fact that the Senate has already passed a bill and the President already agreed to sign it – if Duncan and Fleischmann would just pass it.”

After the election, sixty-eight percent of Americans believe the President was given a mandate to cut taxes for working families; while 76 percent believe that increasing taxes on the wealthy is an “acceptable” part of any deal. In fact, almost half of Republicans say the President has a mandate to raise taxes on the rich.

Participants also demanded that Representatives Duncan and Fleischmann stop clinging to their outdated ideas about balancing the budget and instead pay attention to the real concerns of the hard-working Knoxvillians they represent.

“All Rep. Duncan and Fleischmann have to do to avert a tax hike on middle class families is vote for the middle class tax cut,” continued Jones, “Why aren’t they?”

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Call your member of Congress at 1-888-344-0683 and ask them to side with working and middle class families, not milionaires and corporate CEO’s. When you call 1-888-344-0683 you will be prompted to enter your zip code and then immediately connected to your member of Congress.

Urge them to go back to Washington and:

Stop the political games

Get behind the Senate bill to immediately extend tax relief to 98% of the American people and 97% of small business

Start putting working families before millionaires

Protect earned benefits like Medicare and Social Security from ANY cuts.

Tennessee Citizen Action works in the public interest as Tennessee’s premier consumer rights organization. Our mission is to work to improve the overall health, well-being, and quality of life for all people who live and work in Tennessee. Learn more...